Cristy Lane is best remembered for her 1979 single "One Day at a Time," a g… Read Full Bio ↴Cristy Lane is best remembered for her 1979 single "One Day at a Time," a gospel song that blended Protestant fervor with the language of self-help in a seamless, heartfelt whole. She is also noteworthy as one of the builders of the Branson, MO, live-entertainment phenomenon. Lane was born Eleanor Johnston to a family of 12 in Peoria, IL. Married before she was 20, she had three children by 1964. Her husband, Lee Stoller, a salesman, encouraged her to sing professionally, but she was painfully shy. After some tentative attempts, she landed several nightclub appearances and then a guest slot on Chicago's WLS Barn Dance radio program in 1968. She took her stage name from that of a Peoria DJ, Chris Lane.Several early attempts to break into country music in Nashville came to nothing, and Lane struggled with the pressures of the performing career her husband was urging upon her. She attempted to commit suicide twice in the late '60s, once after a difficult 1969 tour of Vietnam, organized by Stoller during which Lane performed 120 shows and was involved in a helicopter crash that left her stranded in the midst of a battle. Lane and Stoller returned to Peoria and opened a pair of nightclubs that featured Lane as the marquee attraction. In 1972, the Stoller family moved to a Nashville suburb and continued its attempts to get Lane's career off the ground. The reaction from established label executives ranged from indifference to sexual come-ons for Lane, and finally Stoller formed his own label, LS, in the mid-'70s. He was tireless in promoting Lane's career, and his efforts were rewarded when the label's debut single, "Tryin' to Forget About You," and its follow-up, "Sweet Deceiver," made the charts in 1977. That year she also made it to the Top Ten and the Top 20 with "Let Me Down Easy" and "Shake Me, I Rattle," respectively. Lane scored three more hits the following year and in 1979 was named New Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. During the awards ceremony Lane sang "I Just Can't Stay Married to You," which later became a Top Five hit. In late 1979, Lane was signed to United Artists Records and had three more hits. But the label balked at releasing the song Lane and Stoller had planned for their next single, "One Day at a Time."That song was a several-years-old entry from Kris Kristofferson's catalog of compositions; co-written with Nashville veteran Marijohn Wilkin, it was of a piece with other religious songs (such as "Why Me, Lord?") the hard-living Kristofferson had written in soberer moments. Shortly before Lane's version appeared, the song had topped British charts in a version by vocalist Lena Martell. For country radio in 1980, it was an unorthodox song, but Lane and Stoller correctly estimated its powerful impact. After it hit number one on the country charts, Lane released "Sweet Sexy Eyes," her final Top Ten hit. Her career hit the skids temporarily when Stoller was imprisoned on racketeering charges in 1982, but the couple bounced back after Stoller observed the spectacular success yodeler-crooner Slim Whitman had experienced after beginning direct television marketing of his music. By 1986 Lane and Stoller had put together a strong pair of linked materials: a One Day at a Time album and a Lane autobiography of the same name. Marketed through television advertising and later on the World Wide Web, these items sold well for years and kept Lane's name before a demographic just waiting to be tapped: that of country fans in late middle age. As Branson began to emerge as a major entertainment destination in the late '80s and early '90s, Lane and Stoller jumped on the bandwagon. Their Cristy Lane Theatre became a major Branson attraction, hosting not only Lane's own performances but also early appearances by Branson stars-to-be such as Yakov Smirnoff (in 1992). Lane sold her Branson theater in the mid-'90s but remained active as a performer. She has recorded several albums of gospel and sentimental standards for marketing through her website and elsewhere. Plans were laid in the early 2000s for a film depicting Lane's life story.

Joy to the World
Cristy Lane Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jeremiah was a bullfrog
Was a good friend of mine
I never understood a single word he said
But I helped him a-drink his wine
And he always had some mighty fine wine
Singing

Joy to the world

All the boys and girls now
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

If I were the king of the world
Tell you what I'd do
I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the war
Make sweet love to you
Sing it now

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

You know I love the ladies
Love to have my fun
I'm a high life flyer and a rainbow rider
A straight shooting son-of-a-gun (oh yeah)
I said a straight shooting son-of-a-gun

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the world
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls now
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

I wanna tell you
Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cristy Lane's version of Joy to the World start with the line, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine." Many listeners assume that this line is about a man, but it is actually about a bullfrog. The song then goes on to talk about the singer's relationship with Jeremiah, and how they used to drink wine together.

The singer then switches to talking about what they would do if they were the king of the world. They would throw away things like cars, bars, and war, and instead focus on making love. The song returns to the chorus, repeating "Joy to the world, all the boys and girls now. Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me."

The song is actually a variation of the traditional Christmas song "Joy to the World." It was arranged by Hoyt Axton, who added the verses about Jeremiah the bullfrog and the king of the world. Axton created his version of the song in 1970.

Line by Line Meaning

Jeremiah was a bullfrog
I knew a guy named Jeremiah who was a very lively and enjoyable person.

Was a good friend of mine
I had a close relationship with Jeremiah.

I never understood a single word he said
Jeremiah was very hard to understand when he talked.

But I helped him a-drink his wine
Despite his difficult speech, I enjoyed spending time with Jeremiah and drinking his delicious wine.

And he always had some mighty fine wine
Jeremiah's wine was always of excellent quality.

Singing Joy to the world
Let's all celebrate and spread joy throughout the world!

All the boys and girls now
Everyone, young and old, join in the celebration!

Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Even the sea creatures deserve to feel joy!

Joy to you and me
Let's all share in the joy together!

If I were the king of the world
If I had ultimate power and control.

Tell you what I'd do
Here's what I would do with that power.

I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the war
I would get rid of all the things that cause division and destruction in society, such as cars, bars, and wars.

Make sweet love to you
Instead, I would choose to love and cherish others.

You know I love the ladies
I have a great affection for women.

Love to have my fun
I enjoy having a good time.

I'm a high life flyer and a rainbow rider
I live life with excitement and vibrancy, like a bird soaring through the sky or a person riding a rainbow.

A straight shooting son-of-a-gun (oh yeah)
I am a truthful and honest person.

Joy to the world
Let's celebrate and be joyful!

I wanna tell you
I'm excited to share this message with you.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: . TRADITIONAL, LALO SCHIFRIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS